CH 34

The Emperor had a face that was terrifyingly similar to that of the Crown Prince.

Moreover, he was even younger than expected, leaving Carl Lindbergh unable to hide his astonishment.

His complexion, which appeared well-tended but somewhat disheveled, and his curly hair, were clearly inherited traits.

As if he could sense everything, the Emperor briefly scanned Carl with his eyes and immediately extended his hand for a friendly handshake. Carl, feeling a bit overwhelmed, hesitated for a moment before firmly grasping the Emperor’s hand with both of his own.

The Emperor exuded as much majesty as the golden crown he wore on his head, and as Carl, the prince, looked at him with admiration, Adrian clenched his teeth in an attempt to quell his jealousy.

“So, now I finally get to see your face. The Empress summoned you sooner than expected.”

The Emperor, who wore an expression that seemed to suggest he had a full stomach just by imagining the absent Empress, resembled a predator in the Serengeti.

“No, actually, I should have requested an audience first. I apologize.”

When Carl firmly stood his ground, the Emperor burst into laughter.

“I dislike beating around the bush and wasting time. I dislike formalities just as much. Why would I allocate time for an uncomfortable meeting between the prince and me when we have no connection?”

The Emperor’s words were no different from saying that now we are not unrelated people who waste time.

Perhaps this favor was granted because I spent time with his son.

Carl looked at Adrian with a wry smile and spoke to the Emperor again.

“Nevertheless, I wanted to express my gratitude for the assistance I received. It was impolite of me to come empty-handed.”

This was Carl’s sincere sentiment.

Directed towards both the Emperor and the Crown Prince.

When he had mistakenly thought that the Crown Prince’s companion was Leia, he considered even compacting the most frustrating parts of the novel as a way of repaying the favor.

However, after Carl Lindbergh realized that Belfry was the Crown Prince’s mate, he felt even smaller, as if he had relied on his favor.

Adrian noticed Carl’s awkward mood and tapped his finger under the table. The Emperor lifted his glass of wine and said, “The prince seems to be deep in thought.”

“When we decided to assist Lindbergh, it was not only because you were a suitable match as the Crown Prince’s mate, which we did not expect.”

Adrian looked proudly at Carl, and Carl awkwardly smiled.

“Besides that, we are brothers by blood.”

Carl looked at Leia with a startled expression, but Leia also had an expression that indicated she was hearing it for the first time.

The Emperor twirled his glass around, enjoying the whirlpool created by the blood-red wine.

“Very few people know that the predecessor of Lindbergh, Emperor Lindwyer, and the first Emperor Heineken were brothers. It’s not unreasonable to be surprised.”

He said, as if he was a grandma telling an old tale to his grandchildren.

“The first Emperor of Heineken and the first Emperor of Lindwyer were brothers by different fathers. The goddess descended to the earth and fell in love with a human, and their first child became the first Emperor of Lindwyer. However, there was a problem. Since human lifespans are short, the aged husband died first, and unable to overcome her grief, the goddess tried to destroy herself. In response, the heavens sent down another goddess to prevent her from perishing.”

The other goddess made every effort to give her reasons not to perish, and it led to the conception of another life.

“The reason Lindwyer’s history is much longer than Heineken’s is because there was a significant time difference between them. Although they were brothers, the age difference was as significant as between a grandfather and his grandchild.”

The child born between the two goddesses was closer to being a god than a human, which granted him a long life, and his divine power transformed into magic as it passed through the human body.

Additionally, due to both gods being of the same gender, an unexpected blessing was added.

That blessing was the emergence of individuals with extraordinary magical powers, regardless of their gender, who were irresistibly drawn to each other and could conceive children.

“Lindwyer’s Emperor was jealous of Heineken’s Emperor. Because he had a significant advantage in terms of magical power. Despite it being an unavoidable issue, the jealousy persisted.”

One side represented the union of a human and a god, while the other side represented the union of two gods. Perhaps it was a natural difference in power, yet humans couldn’t help but envy and feel jealous.

“When only humans overflowing with magical power existed, there was no need for magic formulas. They could simply use it directly. The principles of magic were not necessary either.”

The door of the dining room opened, and chefs entered one after another, pulling wagons.

When Carl wasn’t eating much, Adrian nervously scooped up the food and transferred the food to his plate.

The Emperor smiled pleasantly as he watched this and continued the conversation.

“The problem was that during the prolonged conflicts between the two sides and the changing generations, the magic power gradually weakened.”

While one side fought and the other defended, children continued to be born.

A new plan was needed for the descendants who couldn’t use magic directly.

So the goddesses joined forces to mediate between the two sides and divided the token into the Royal seal.

It was also the goddesses who taught them the principles of magic and how to use magic formulas.

The exhausted goddesses completed their duties and ascended to the sky, while the remaining humans sought their own development.

It was a moment when the era transitioned to a time where even humans without magical power could use magic. However, it was unfortunate that some of the magicians in Lindwyer did not want their existence to fade away because of it.

In an attempt to keep Lindwyer’s magicians from sharing their knowledge of magic, they closed their borders and engaged in disputes over what was right and wrong among themselves. Meanwhile, Heineken flourished by sharing magic.

“What do you think, Carl Lindbergh? Lindwyer, which had a considerable number of magicians, and Heineken. And Lindbergh is the one in decline.”

The Emperor posed a question, and Carl pondered deeply before saying, “Perhaps it is only natural.” and shrugged.

While the Emperor exclaimed in awe, Carl rummaged through his memories, recalling a book he had read before.

It was a book about a theory that proves that a kind and compassionate species, who adapts to fate and knows how to share what they have, ultimately survives longer when theories about survival of the fittest are being debated.

During the time when he wanted to compensate for his lack of knowledge, it was the most enjoyable book he read whenever he had the chance.

“There are two groups of animals.”

Leia anxiously watched what story Carl would tell in front of the Emperor.

“One group maintains their wild nature and drives away weaker individuals, with one leader dominating everyone else. Any children other than the leader’s offspring either die or are driven away.”

Carl divided the vegetables on his plate into two sides.

“The other group has a leader, but he is more of a guide than a ruler. He seeks food and shares it with the weaker individuals, encouraging free and open relationships.”

Adrian looked at Carl with newfound eyes.

The lingering disappointment from his hesitant and reserved attitude earlier was starting to fade away.

“If we look at it from a biological perspective, it may seem like a group with strong individuals under a strong leader would survive longer. However, in the end, a group led by compassion and kindness survives through more generations. Rather than a history stained with attacks and defeats, it is through the sharing of diverse experiences that wisdom naturally accumulates.”

He then questioned whether human history would ultimately follow the same pattern.

The three Alphas, each performing their role as leaders in their respective positions, listened attentively to the calm voice of the Omega, who continued the conversation without being intimidated, even though he may be a step below in terms of power.

“I believe that everything in the world, whether living or nonliving, grows old and weak. Fear only dominates the present moment.”

As everyone, including the knights stationed there and all the servants, listened attentively, Carl, feeling embarrassed by the attention, scratched his cheek and concluded, “There’s a saying that even a sturdy tree can break in a strong wind.”

After Carl finished speaking, a brief silence followed, and then the Emperor burst into laughter.

“That’s the spirit of Heineken now. Insisting on having dominant traits in the Heineken royal family has nothing to do with preserving magical power. It’s just that, for some reason, only dominant Alpha offspring are consistently born into the Heineken lineage, and the recessives or Betas may not be suitable as mates. After just two or three generations, there may be no use for magical power.”

Adrian watched as Carl’s eyelids slowly drooped and then lifted again, as if mesmerized, and caught the gradual transformation of his face into one of joy.

But why is his heart so restless?

Adrian moved his fingers under the table and tangled it with his.

Carl didn’t avoid it, but he didn’t hold his hands either.

The Emperor acknowledged that his son had fallen straight up with this young man.

With the Emperor’s improved mood, he boasted about the head chef’s culinary skills, and a cheerful atmosphere continued during the dinner.

When dessert was served and Carl became slightly intoxicated by the sweet wine, the Emperor suddenly brought up an unrelated topic.

“Do you know that gods are beings with more greed and obsession than humans? The more dominant a trait one possesses, the stronger their obsession and it resembles the mother God.”

The Emperor stared meaningfully at his son, and Adrian made a sly expression.

Carl Lindbergh’s face turned serious all of a sudden.

“Well, I may not know much because I’m not an Alpha.”

Leia hoped her brother wouldn’t say anything unnecessary.

It was because uneasiness appeared on Adrian’s face.

Carl seemed intoxicated, and it was the first time she saw him in such a state.

“When do Alphas recognize their mates?”

“Hmm?”

The Emperor alternated his gaze between Adrian and Carl with an amused expression.

“Not just any Omega can become their mate, you know.”

It seemed like a habit for him to fiddle with his fingers when discussing difficult topics.

The Emperor stroked his chin.

“Usually, they can tell at first glance. There’s something called pheromonal compatibility. Sometimes, they mark the Omega they first meet. That’s why there are times when we can’t find other people’s pheromones attractive.”